And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.-Colossians 1:18

I have to admit… when I first saw the little toy Jesus figures going around with the phrase “Everybody needs a little Jesus,” I smiled.

I mean—how could you not? It’s cute. It’s the kind of thing you could tuck into someone’s hand or leave on a desk as a quiet reminder. And in a world that feels heavy sometimes… who wouldn’t benefit from a reminder of Jesus?

In one sense, it’s absolutely true. We all need Jesus.

But then I had a conversation that made me think a little deeper.

She said, “I don’t like that… my Jesus isn’t little. He’s big.” And I understood what she meant.

Not that I’m admitting the original thought was wrong… but I do have to admit it’s incomplete.

Because if we’re not careful, we can unintentionally shrink Jesus down in the way we live.

We say we need Him—but sometimes only in portions.

A little peace when we’re anxious.
A little help when things fall apart.
A little direction when we feel lost.

But Scripture never presents Jesus as a “little part” of our lives.

It presents Him as over it all.

Colossians 1:16–17 tells us:
“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth… All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

That means He’s not just present in your life—He’s the One holding it together.

Hebrews 1:3 says He is “upholding all things by the word of His power.”

Not assisting. Not supplementing. Holding ALL THINGS.

And Philippians 2:9–11 reminds us that He has been given “the name which is above every name… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.”

That’s not a “little” Jesus. That’s a reigning King.

The issue isn’t the phrase itself…but how easily our hearts can live it out in a smaller way than it was intended.

Because it’s entirely possible to believe in a big God…and still live like we only need a little of Him.

We tend to compartmentalize.

We invite Him into certain areas… but not others.
We trust Him with the big crises… but rely on ourselves for the everyday.
We want His comfort… but hesitate at His authority.

Jesus didn’t come to be a small addition to our lives.

Luke 9:23 says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

That’s not partial. That’s complete surrender.

Not a little Jesus…but a life fully shaped by Him.

But yet— and here’s the part that makes this so beautiful—this same Jesus… the One who holds all things together, who reigns above all, who carries all authority…is also near.

Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

So yes… we can smile at the small reminders, and we can appreciate the heart behind them.

After all the conversation and thinking this stirred up—my friend and I landed in a place of agreement. She still isn’t quite on board with the “little Jesus” trend… and I’m still not opposed to it. But we both can agree on one thing:

If a small reminder opens the door…we can use it to point people to a much bigger truth.

If handing someone a “little Jesus” gives us the opportunity to tell them about our big Jesus—the One who saves, reigns, restores, and holds all things together—then that’s a conversation not wasted.

The value isn’t in the size of the reminder…but in where it leads. We should let every small moment become an invitation to share the greatness of who He truly is.

Because we don’t just need a little Jesus in our lives, we need Him as our foundation, our center, our everything. …and we should never settle for anything less.

Takeaway Thought: It’s not wrong to be reminded of Jesus in small ways—but don’t stop there. Let every reminder become an opportunity to point others to the greatness of our big Jesus.

Your Heart Sister,
Mikki 💜

Lord, thank You for meeting us in both the small moments and the big ones. Help us not to shrink You down to fit into our lives, but instead to surrender our lives fully to You. Teach us to trust You not just in pieces, but in everything. And Lord, when You place small reminders in our hands, help us to see them as opportunities—to point others to who You truly are. Give us the boldness and the words to share our big Jesus with a world that needs You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.